The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-10-05

point of watchfulness that they suspect
some planned treachery, and see in the
proposed mobilization of the three corps in
the interior of France reason sufficient to
proclaim war. Are we, they are asking
to allow France to be twenty DAYS ahead
of US in preparations? The three corps
might, if France is utterly INSCRIPTIONS,
rush Belgium. Alarm of this kind, partly
we'll founded, partly based upon terrifying
rumor, soon generates hate, and it is with
out surprise that we see grave German
journals which seldom publish what
Prince Bismarck disapproves, solemnly
warning France that there are limits even
to German patience. On the other hand,
the French are at least as apprehensive as
their opponents. 1t is their foible when
excited to see men as trees walking and
they are excited now. Prince Bismarck's
speeches on the renewal of the Septennial
Bill his dissolution of Parliament, and his
demand for more men, lett an indelibIe
impression in the French mind that he ex-
pected war that he was preparing for it,
and that he had thought out plans for the
destruction of France. Since that period
Frenchmen have watched him with an
ever-increasing jealousy have voted
heavy demands for new ornaments
in silence, have attacked their own
Government whenever they suspected it
of Difference to Berlin, have sedulously
proclaimed Russia their only ally, and
have raised General Boulanger into hero,
because they thought he would, from hos
tility to Germany, sufficiently protect the
country. Their most injurious conduct
towards their German guests is traceable
to belief that every German has been a
soldier, and is therefore certain to place
his knowledge at the disposal of the Ger
man War Office, while the bOycOtting of
German trade, especially in wine, is an eff
fort to cut off the sources of a wealth that
may be utilized for war. The French in
fact, expect invasion, and their alarm and
wrath have reawakened the rancor which
had seemed dying away, but which has
been kept smOuldering by the spectacle
of the continued attachment of Alsace, so
conspicuously manifested in the election
on the Septennial bill. They would go to
wan at once if they only dared, and ex-
pect war even if they resolve not to pro-
claim 1t
1t is possible the envenomed feeling In
both countries may die away without pro-
ducing an explosion; but there is no rea-
son for calculating on such change.
Nothing can alter the German situation
except successful war, and the continuance
of apprehensions does not develop friend
ship. The absurd hatred of Englishmen
for Frenchmen which existed from 1905 to
1915 was due to continued terror, as we'll
as frequent prOvOcatiOn, and only began
to die away when Waterloo had assured
England of her safety. The Germans VIII
always regard French enmity as threat
ening factor in the situation, and nothing
can be foreseen except war, under which
French enmity will grow less. We fear
that for years to come it is upon the judg
ment of statesmen rather than peoples we
must rely for continued peace, and the
statesmen, both in France and Germany,
may be growing weary of the strain. We
see no trustworthy evidence as yet that
they are, but we see much that they
have determined, if the need arises to be
in time to meet it. That new modern
dread of being late in the work Of mobili-
cation is, unhapily, great addition to the
chances of war. So much may be accom-
plished IN a fortnight, that statesmen are
ready to sacrifice anything rather than be
behindhand, and may, on occasion of some
unforeseen accident, declare further dipio-
macy useless, because, if they attempt it,
''our enemy may be modified and in mo-
ton before we are in the field" If it were
nearly certain that first blood always
implied victory, the temptation to hit
out prematurely would be indefinitely
strengthened